Your Family - Hate Crime

Hate crimes are directed against people because of some aspect of who they are, most typically because they are from an ethnic minority or different religion, or because of their sexuality.

Hate crime covers a wide range of behaviour, for example verbal abuse, racist or homophobic graffiti or physical assault. A crime can be classed as a hate crime if the victim or witness see it as being so.

If you are the victim of what you think is a hate crime, it is not your fault. You have the right to live your life free from abuse and violence, whoever you are. You do not have to live with hate crime.

Police are trained to deal with hate crime with sensitivity and tact. They will not treat you differently because you are from an ethnic or religious minority, or because of your sexuality.